Safety Nets
by QueenTyZula
Summary: The "Greatest Earthbender of All Time" is given a challenge and there is no turning back. Omegaverse content, therefore, subject to rating change.
1. The Spirit of Competition

When a gorgeous, friendly woman dressed immaculately arrives at a police station with a dozen, freshly baked donuts, covered in sprinkles, one could not help, but to stare in awe. A sweet giggle from the woman echoed throughout the precinct, even reaching the keen ears of the greatest earthbender of all time, making her fingers pause on the braille paperwork she had been studying. She knew the voice well, along with the set of twinkle toes that reminded her of the self-sacrificing avatar she loathed to see during her work hours.

A strange nostalgia made the earthbender's lips lift into a rare, sweet smile as she remembered a hilarious trip to the circus many years ago. The smile was quickly replaced with a characteristic grimace when her newly hired assistant stood in her doorway, however.

"Hey, Chief!" Greeted the nail-scratching, high-pitched voice. "I saved one more donut for you. The Boulder was being greedy," the woman informed her, followed by quick clicks of heels across the hardwood flooring in the chief's office.

Chief Beifong waved away the pastry, her hands then repositioned themselves against the raised braille paper.

"You're late, Ty Lee. No amount of sugar will replace the strike on your evaluation. This is your first day on the job," she warned.

Chief Beifong continued reading, fingers moving quickly as Ty lee groaned and seemingly walked away. The inner alpha in Toph was not placated, however. The moment her new assistant entered her office, her trousers became quite uncomfortable. Ty Lee's sweet-scented, omega pheromones burned her nostrils with the tell-tale signs of the end of a strong heat. Thankfully, the girl was gone, now, hopefully far enough away from any other alphas in the vicinity. The strong, lustful scent would make one lose their mind, though Toph knew better. She had two children thanks to her untamed alpha instincts and she made a vow after her last mistake with the head councilman to keep them in check.

Toph turned her attention back to her work, away from her old friend's lingering aroma.

"Omashu!"

Toph nearly feel from her chair at the squeal the acrobat bellowed suddenly. Willing her limbs to calm, she snarled through clenched teeth, "Spirits bless you".

"No, Omashu," corrected Ty Lee, her hand snatching her boss's and placing it on a braille version of the local newspaper.

The earthbender scanned the article, mouth gaping as she read over the title. **_The World's Greatest Earthbender Resides in Omashu._**

Grimacing, Toph shoved Ty Lee off her desk, unable to stand her heat slapping her in the face along with the blasphemous words printed on the front page.

"I don't live in Omashu," she growled with pure "pissivity".

Ty Lee chuckled cutely, "No silly, they're talking about-" Ty Lee stopped, ducking Toph's metal of honor plaque flying from the wall towards her face. "Hey!" She protested at the gesture, "I'm just the messenger".

Toph stood angrily pointing a finger at the omega. "I know who they're talking about. This matter needs to be settled with Bumi and you're coming with me to witness it, Assistant!"

Ty Lee agreed happily. "Yay! Girl trip! I'll ready the air balloon!" she offered.

This time Toph heard her leave as her heels clicked down the hall, her scent following as if to tease the alpha's instincts on purpose. The earthbender began to regret inviting the woman, already.

#

If she wasn't pressed for time and had been thinking with a clear head, Toph would not have followed up on King Bumi's crazy proclamation nor would Ty Lee have been invited to witness the two benders' showdown, but alpha she was, she couldn't resist facing off against the king in front of her newest recruit.

"I haven't been here in years!" Commented Ty Lee excitedly when the angled city was in view from the air balloon.

The chief held onto the side of the vehicle, muttering obscenities. She hated flying despite years spending time with Aang on Appa's back. Oh, when she had the first chance to feel the ground again…

"Look!" Screamed Ty Lee, her voice stricken with panic.

Toph pursed her lips. "Sorry, I only _see_ idiots, right now. I'm blind Ty Lee, can you be more specific?"

Ty Lee chuckled nervously, at which Toph sighed, sending her chi to ease the omega.

"I-I didn't mean to be so harsh," she mumbled biting her lip.

A hug around the neck was Ty Lee's forgiving answer. "It's ok, you…you just reminded me of-" her voice caught and she released the chief slowly.

Toph felt instant guilt though the omega did not finish her words. The last thing she wanted was to remind Ty Lee of her abusive ex. The alpha that sired two pups with her assistant was not solely to blame for their tumultuous relationship, yet the omega mother needed to be treated with kid gloves while their ugly, pending divorce was in the works.

"I'm sorry. Guess…we're not much different, huh?"

She felt Ty Lee's chi swirl in a hazy cloud to tell her not to worry. It felt almost normal, making Toph's chest lighten.

"You're my best friend, forever, remember?" The girl said with a laugh. "Can't get rid of me that easy".

The chief mockingly clicked her teeth.

"But," continued Ty Lee, "the problem is that giant wall around Omashu. That wasn't there before".

Toph's head jerked left and right. Wall? How were they going to get into the city? Obviously, Bumi was expecting a visit from the _real_ greatest earthbender alive.

 _But, I can't see._ Thought Toph.

They were in the air, so she had no clue where the wall was to dismantle it. _Hmm…_ She contemplated.

"How far away are we, Ty Lee?" She asked, feet searching for any sign of land.

"Not far, um," the former acrobat jerked the wheel, making them nearly topple over the balloon's sides.

"The fuck, Ty?" Growled Toph, knuckles nearly breaking from gripping the vehicle in panic.

"S-Sorry, those muscle-y soldiers are throwing rock dart thingies!" She screamed, steering the balloon back to avoid being caught by a "rock dart thingy".

Frustration set in instantly for the chief. "What is going on?" She asked, mostly to herself.

"I don't know! I don't know! Maybe we…should turn around?" Suggested her assistant.

"No way! We're going head on. Drive this thing towards the wall, now!"

"B-B-B-"

"NOW!"

In seconds, the balloon was heading straight for the wall. Toph struggled to stand, senses catching the oncoming torpedoed rocks. She sent them back effortlessly in the direction they were coming from.

"Keep going, Boss!" Cheered the omega.

Toph felt a sense of pride from Ty Lee's praise. With a smirk, she executed a move, stamping her barefoot hard against the wooden floor, so hard, in fact that the flooring splintered and terror took hold when she felt herself plunging towards spirits knew what below.

"Toph!" She heard, followed by strong hands under her armpits. Pure fear that the alpha could not remember last feeling shook her as she dangled, unable to feel anything below her. Ty Lee held on to her, but her grasp was steadily slipping.

To make matters worse, a loud pop could be heard, followed by the rapid loss of precious air that could only come from above them. She heard Ty Lee's fearful gasp next to her ear and could almost feel her rapidly beating heart.

Toph felt like the noose around their necks. If only she could feel something…anything!

"I-I'm going to let go, now Boss," the acrobat's voice filled her ears.

 _What?_ Thought Toph, panic rising higher.

"You are the greatest earthbender ever to me," were the last words she heard before she was released, screaming and flailing into a pile of…cabbages?

Toph scrambled to stand, but was thrown backwards as she was moving fast down a slope of some sort, air stinging her pale skin and releasing her short, cropped hair into a wild frenzy. Battling gravity's hold, Toph grunted, pushing two hands in front of her to make the cabbage cart come to a screeching halt.

Hopping off, she bent a mound of dirt to land safely on level ground, gasping for breath with her hands on her knees. "Ty?" She called, worriedly. "Ty Lee where are you?"

A high-pitched cackled that wasn't Ty Lee's seemed to shake the ground. "Oh goodness, was there someone else in that ball of hot air with you before it exploded on the side of our new wall? Ouch! Hope they were earthbenders".

Toph's eyes burned with sudden, hot tears draining down her cheeks, voice cracking as she answered the king of the horrid place, "What the fuck is WRONG with you? She…she was a mother," the woman managed to choke out, struggling to hold herself together.

She could not imagine what had happened to the woman. The earthbender regretted everything in that instant. She should not have come to Omashu in such haste. Her blind arrogance had cost her assistant her life! Bumi was a slowly cracking lunatic! She should have known better.

"Oh, cheer up, you're still the greatest earthbender, right? I mean, who could survive that, huh?" Asked the man, chewing on something hard that made Toph cringe, hatred rising for the lunatic.

With quick hands, she squeezed her fingers. The rock candy lodged in the king's throat, making him instantly fall to his knees for air.

Between breaths, the king managed to mutter, "You…wouldn't-"

Fingers trembling Toph struggled internally. How would she face her friend's pups? What could she tell them? Bumi wasn't to blame for what happened to their mother, she was. Toph felt sick to her stomach. Her friend was not an earthbender or any sort of bender, but she was one of the few people Toph trusted with her life. Ty Lee had given hers. Now she had a choice to make and she was no Aang…

 **Part one for the Nets challenge. Prompt: Write a story about embarking on a treacherous journey. Element: Earth**


	2. Uncertainly, My Dear I Don't Give a Damn

All of the police forces in Omashu surrounded a lone, female alpha in a unified cautious circle. Toph paid little attention to them, however. Her mind only replayed the recent events in her head.

"You took this game too serious, Bumi," she hissed. "Ty Lee was a non-bender, and she was innocent. Aang would never approve of this," squeezing her fingers, she elicited an answering croak from the king.

"A-Arrogance…deadly," Bumi managed to say, his eyes moving backwards from lack of air. "Friend…lives".

Toph gasped, releasing the grip she the candy lodged in the man's throat from her bending. Bumi gasped for precious breaths before letting out hacking laughter, his shoulders shaking from his position on his hands and knees before the earthbender. Gulping down the candy, he glanced up to the alpha, his eyes mad with lunacy.

"Clever trick, young one. But I have a better one".

Toph barely had time to register the multiple movements launching in her direction at once. The blind earthbender dodged metal cuffs by twisting them back towards their owners. Bumi's forces countered with a move to sway the alpha off of her feet with a shift of the sandy ground. Toph was forced to concentrate on staying upright, her bare feet pressing hard into the earth below her. She was instantly trapped in platinum restraints around her neck by a surprise attack from behind and forced to bow her head as her attacker held onto her hands to limit her movements.

"Well, well," she heard the mad king hackle from above her. "The greatest earthbender, hmm? It is incredible how you have mastered neutral jin, pure brilliance that you created metalbending, yet still managed to lose your friend. What a shame".

The alpha in Toph hated the humiliation she felt with the king's taunting words, along with her bowing head in submission.

"Let's send her to the newly, new-new renovated chamber, shall we?" The king suggested.

"Where's Ty Lee?" Toph asked, struggling against her captors attempting to lead her away.

"Who knows?" Bumi asked, sarcastically. "Can you sense her? Is she even alive? Tsk, tsk…who knows? Perhaps you have wasted precious time".

A hurtfilled howl emerged from the alpha's throat.

"No need to worry yourself, Chief Beifong. You will need your rest for the next challenge," Bumi said with a chuckle, his voice distorted from another candy.

#

Azula was perched in her office chair inside of _Mad Princess_ Headquarters, thumbing through her endless plethora of hate mail, coup opportunities, love notes and finally business offerings, the usual. Her routine was simple and she hated surprises, though her mate had attempted to complicate their life for no good reason.

 _No._ Thought the business woman, willing her mind away from her mate.

Azula knew the omega's natural, monthly lust's pattern like clockwork and she knew Ty Lee's was due despite their recent separation.

 _She'd better not be fucking._ The alpha declared in her mind as the memory of Ty Lee's last heat on their yacht, during their anniversary replayed in her mind.

Azula's teeth nearly cracked with gnawing jealousy. If her omega _had_ allowed someone else to satisfy her… Her neck throbbed unbearably, the mating bite increasingly burning since their break-up. Something wasn't right and she needed to know why. Her mate needed her perhaps?

 _Of course, it is her heat. She wouldn't dare let another touch what's mine._ The alpha found her hand smoothing the divorce papers next to her stack of business offerings.

Ty Lee had filed them for real, this time and it burned Azula to the core. Her wife's life had been filled with everything an omega could ever desire. They owned multiple homes between three nations, their pups went to the best academies money could buy and she had granted envious luxuries to Ty Lee's noble family in their homeland, even allowing her nephews admission to the United Republic's army when they came of age. Yet, the omega left her like she was an undesirable peasant. Damn her!

Azula was silently brooding over the matter, when her office door opened, gears in her head turning with strategies to win the woman back. It wasn't love, of course, it was all about possession. She OWNED every inch of the omega as sure as she owned her franchise and The Triple Threat Triad.

No one leaves Princess Azula, willingly, and lives to tell about it!

#

When she was tossed into her cell, Toph immediately realized that she was not alone. The scent was more obvious as she sniffed the air. The stench of alpha. She recognized the pheromone from a woman she once admired for her talents.

"Good to see I have company," said the alphawoman in the room with her. "What dummies would keep an earthbender in here?"

Toph took a seat on the ground, wincing at the platinum cuff pinching her neck and blocking her chi. Unwillingly, it reminded her of Ty Lee. Bumi was a grade A lunatic, but there was a fine line between madness and genius and even Toph had to admit that the idea behind her bondage was sickly brilliant.

"Hurts, huh?" Commented the woman.

Toph said nothing.

"Well, you were much more chatty last time we met. Oh, well, sorry for your loss".

The comment caught Toph's sensitive ears. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess. Anyway, aside from that. You may be powerless, but believe me, you and I could get out of this hell hole together. I have friends in high places".

At that Toph heard a clank of metal at her feet. After several moments of waiting, she finally snapped away the silence, "Obviously, I have no idea what you just tossed my way. So are you going to tell me, Bitch?"

"Temper, temper, it's a warhammer. Figured a buff alpha like you would be capable of using it".

"No thanks, weapons are useless when I have plenty of dirt at my feet".

"What a shame your feet can't use it" snapped the alpha coolly. "Listen, I'm here on business. So we could be very beneficial to one another. With my axe and your warhammer, we can cut and pound a clean way out in a matter of seconds, what do you say?"

Toph touched the warhammer, surprised to feel braille imprinting on the handle. What were the odds of that?

"What's in this for you?" Asked the woman softly.

"Freedom and unpaid debts. The bigger question is what do _you_ stand to benefit?"

Toph thought on an answer as she rubbed the weapon, Ty Lee's sweet scent seemingly locked in her nostrils. The king was not very subtle at the implication that the circus performer was dead. A fact, Toph wanted him to regret.

 _Aang would hate me._ She reminded herself, with a sigh. Aang would never condone anyone's life taken from them. Even an eye for an eye was off limits. _I'll apologize later._ She told herself. _He has to understand one day._

"If we kill him, we will be wanted in all the earth kingdom," she informed her cellmate. "Can you handle that?"

"Luck of the queen. I always play to win so…are you in or not?"

Ty Lee's sacrifice was worth it. The girl deserved revenge along with her children.

"Fine," Toph finally relented. "But when we break out, I want first dibs on the king".

She felt a wicked flare from the alpha's chi. "Perfect. The name's June, by the way. It is a pleasure to meet you again, Toph. You won't regret it".

#

"Princess?"

Azula glanced up to see Mai, arms folded, her triad, sapphire ring glistening as if quietly proclaiming her loyalty.

"It's great to see you're in a good mood, Sister," commented Azula, sarcastically.

Of course, it was a lie. Mai was _never_ in a good mood.

"Touché," Mai returned. "Though, you do seem…"

Azula cut her off with, " _I_ am going to find my wife. She is due for her heat and I'd be damned if anyone else lays a nail on her".

Mai said, flippantly, uninterested. "Good luck,"

"What?" Azula hissed.

"Good luck finding her. According to some acquaintances of ours at the precinct, she took a little vacation with your buddy, Chief Beifong".

The alpha princess's eyes would have exploded from her sockets at that very moment. Hands slamming the table she growled, "Fool!"

Mai raised her hands in artificial surrender. "Hey, I'm just the messenger," she said, dully as Azula paced to and fro around the office.

Instead of shooting a retort, Azula kissed her ring calmly and the second in command of the Triple Threat Triad was instantly at attention.

"Well, no use in fruitless speculation. Perhaps an arranged meeting with the chief is in order?"

Mai brought her ring to her lips. "With pleasure, Queen," she answered, her tawny irises sparkling. "Another friend owes us a favor, anyway".

 **I enjoyed writing this universe so I am continuing it. The prompts will be based off of those given in the Pro-bending challenge. Hope you enjoyed QTZ**


	3. What Choice Do I have?

June was seated one leg across her knee, atop her shirshu when the message came by hawk. Gulping down the remainder of her can of beer, she tossed it carelessly over one shoulder.

"Oof!"

"Sorry," she murmured to the husband of a wealthy earth kingdom woman on the ground behind her.

Before the message, her day had been normal. She and Nyla were given three bounties to retrieve and the old fart caught with his pants down at a popular brothel was supposed to be the last one for the day. After handing him over to his wife, hogtied, his pants still down per request, she had planned to catch her favorite bar in time for her favorite side job, arm-wrestling. Most frequenters of the bar knew better than to underestimate the beauty, but there was sure to be at least one unfortunate tourist she could drain for every gold piece they were worth.

Such plans were cast aside as soon as she read the three words on the letter: **Queen summons you.** Grunting, the bounty hunter folded the letter and placed it in her breast pocket. Well, there goes her night. The queen was quite different from Prince Pouty in more ways than one and would expect a prompt answer. Yet, she felt apprehensive about going to the alpha's house.

 _Mai will be there._ She thought, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

The last thing she wanted was to see Prince, well, _Lord_ Pouty's omega again. Unfortunately, the choice was out of her hands. She was indebted to Lord Pouty's sister and everyone knew better than to cross the Mad Princess.

She felt her other breast pocket for a fix, forgetting that she had quit the habit a day ago, making her curse under her breath. What excuse did she have? It was either the triad leader's house or the bar. June clenched her teeth, if she were a firebender, she would have smoke emitting from her ears. The thought occurred that she could kill the messenger and claim the letter was lost, but the alpha had other worries, nowadays. The mad princess knew of her attachments and would undoubtedly exploit them if necessary. The decision was made for her.

#

After dismissing her second in command to contact their elusive bounty hunter ally, Azula went back to pacing her office at _Mad Princess_ Headquarters in Republic City, trying to ignore the pulsing pain in her neck. Her omega's mating bite reminded her subtly of what she had lost. The loss sent a blow to her spirit that rivaled the detrimental loss of her agni khai and destined throne to her brother. She managed, with some difficulty to recover from that ill-fated defeat, but she feared losing her wife would be an altogether different battle.

The omega had given her two beautiful pups, a fact she could never forget when she saw them daily, traveling home from school with hired bodyguards. Azula cringed when another painful pulse made her jerk, and cover her neck with her hand. She had to find her omega, even if it meant slaying her enemy-turned-friendly acquaintance, Chief Toph, in the process. No matter her feelings, she knew deep down that reuniting with Ty Lee was necessary or she may never…recover.

 _It was the fire lord, himself, who gave her the news of her first born. A son, Ty Lee had given life to as a result of hard rutting thanks to the omega's heat the night of their wedding. Ty Lee was a master seductress without the natural lust pattern, but a true sex animal with it. Azula may as well had been an inanimate object as it was the omega who controlled the entire show. Her knot had been squeezed dry by the time her new wife was finished with her and neither was surprised at the outcome nine months later._

 _It was only now, that Azula paused before venturing into the Fire Nation hospital. The last months of Ty Lee's pregnancy, the omega wanted to go home to give birth in their homeland as opposed to any earth kingdom hospital. Azula agreed, but sent the woman with Mai to keep her company while she attended to business, preparing Zirin and the triad to look after things while she was away._

 _Now, here she was on the opposite side of the hospital's doors with her brother._

 _It's going to be ok, Azula," assured Zuko, at her side._

 _Azula raked her fingernails through her lengthy hair, refusing to continue. She was a sire, now. Had she not been enthralled by her wife and concentrating on increasing drenched depths and rotating hips, she would have known better, yet she was only human and like most human alphas, she was not immune to the instinct of breeding…_

 _Now, she faced the consequences. Instead of answering her brother with an admission, she was not ready to give, she entered the double doors to meet her Ty Lee's newborn pup._

The memory pulled the alpha even now. She thought on tracking down Mai. Azula did not fear the bounty hunter's decline of the mission, she knew better and anyone would common sense could smell the tension between her and the knife-wielder. They needed closure as well, though Azula cared very little for that. Still, she decided against stopping the possible reunion. Mai was more ornery than usual, perhaps a good fuck was due for her oldest friend as well.

 _Maybe that's all the world really needs anyway._ Thought Azula, staring at a ball of azure flame in the palm of her hand. _A good fuck…_

#

Toph and June made a good team. Thanks to June's smooth speech that easily provoked the two guards to open their guards, meeting the blunt ends of her axe and Toph's warhammer. Freed from the palace's "newly new-new renovated" prison, Toph tightened her fingers around the handle of her weapon, and gave strong swings, demolishing the exit door as her partner fished for the keys to unlock the chi-blocking contraption around her neck.

"Watch it!" Called June suddenly, though a bit too late as the blind chief of police felt pure fear when one of her feet meet open air.

Gasping, the alpha's arms flew up, her Warhammer slipping free from her grip towards whatever abyss awaited below. Thankfully, the bounty hunter's hands beneath her armpits, prevented her from diving head first after the fallen weapon.

"Careful, did you forget we're closer to the heavens in this dumb palace?" Grunted June, breathing hitched from dragging the alpha's weight away from the exit.

She could only sigh in relief as most of her senses returned. She immediately used her seismic ability to read their surroundings, a smirk forming when she also read King Bumi's location just beneath them, sleeping peacefully.

With a strong fist she began to descend when June caught her wrist.

"No, first, we find the omega. He can wait".

Toph snatched her arm away. "Ty Lee…if she's still alive," she shook her head. "Bumi would know," she persisted, turning to lead the way when June's fingers rewrapped around her elbow, giving a strong pull and a menacing tone that made the chief rarely think twice about challenging her.

"Again," hissed June in her ear. "We find the omega. Queen's orders".

Toph's eyes widened. Queen…Azula! So, that was who sent this woman. The earthbender clenched her teeth. Of course, Ty Lee's mate would sense the omega's distress.

"We're going to try the desert. With the lucrative prostitution ring, I am pretty sure Ty Lee would be a hot commodity for the sandbenders".

 _Desert._ Toph felt a sting from her memories. She remembered the library, losing Appa and Aang's anger. She hated the desert.

"Come!" Growled June. "There's no time!"

Toph slowly followed her new captor. She knew there was no getting away from June. Even if she buried the non-bender up to her neck in dirt, she would have Azula and the entire triad after her within seconds. The choice was not hers.

 _What if Ty's not even there?_ She thought angrily at the entire situation.

Following wordlessly behind the bounty hunter, they caught a mail carrier descending from the angular building. She did not have a choice in the matter. She was going to the desert, whether she liked it or not. Great…

 **Write a story about being torn between turning back and going forward.**

 **Three destinations: a friend's house, the hospital, the desert**


	4. Blood Bound Agreements

**Toza's Gym Challenge: Nets Four**

 **Word count: 1547**

 **Animals: catgator, lion vulture, eelhound, rabaroo**

The earthbending master did not need to be told where she was, nor did she need to feel the intense, dry heat sweeping grains across her face. The fact that she was at the complete mercy of her new captor was enough to send the blind girl into a silent panic. Without her feet to guide her through the sandy terrain, she was at a lost and felt humiliated at her current circumstances. The alpha's chi recoiled in panic and anger. She was foolish for challenging Bumi or even believing the mad man would treat the game fairly. She had put Ty Lee at risk, inciting the omega's estranged wife to hunt her down like some deranged eelhound.

Speaking of eelhounds…Toph turned at the growls from several of the weird looking animals directly behind her. She could not see them, of course, with the sand ensnaring her at the ankles, but the creatures were louder than her bubbly assistant as they quickly advanced. A part of her sensed they were there with a purpose that reeked of King Bumi.

"They caught up to us," she heard June hiss along with other curses under her breath.

Toph thought on a strategy, wishing Suyin's father was at her side at the very moment. She was sure the councilman was wondering on her whereabouts, as well, since she had been gone longer than they had arranged, leaving him with both her daughters to care for until she returned. Knowing Sokka as well as did, he was super agitated by now about missing numerous opportunities to mingle with every beautiful and willing woman Republic City had to offer.

 _Maybe he'll keep his pants up longer._ Thought the alpha, vindictively.

Her opportunity was presented when she heard the unmistakable sound of a rock whizzing by her ear. The earthbending soldiers were callous to load their eelhounds with hefty portions of the sweet Mother Earth, she realized as they encircled the escapees.

"Well?" Asked June when they were back to back. "Let's see what the greatest earthbender in the world can do".

Toph snickered deviously. Stretching her arms wide, she lifted every single rock loaded on the four eelhounds surrounding them, making their riders gasp as she molded the rocks into vertical columns before moving her arms downward, the earth columns following suit to create a red mess that painted the golden sands a sea of red.

"Spirits".

The chief did not miss the slight tremble in the bounty hunters voice, making her realize what she had actually done in her fury. As if to further guilt trip her, the shrill sound of lion vultures embraced the hot skies, overhead.

 _I…killed them._ She thought in panic.

Of course, being an active member of the past war, Toph had witnessed bloodshed and unintentionally played a part in it before, at the tender age of ten, but things were different now. These were peaceful times and despite Bumi's little mind games, she highly doubted Aang's best friend from childhood would actually kill Ty Lee in cold blood as she had just done to four of his men.

Feeling sick, as the earthbender heard the wide wings of the lion vultures flap towards the ground, the alpha thought on her daughters. She had set out to make a selfish point, to make people respect the Bei Fong name even more than did after the war's outcome. Yet, after what she just did, the alpha wondered if even in the success of finding the innocent omega, she had failed herself and Aang along the way.

"Hey," Toph's head tilted in June's direction. A comforting hand on the shoulder from her new captor did little to ease her mind. "Don't think about it," suggested the alpha. "Besides, one of these guys is still breathing".

This made Toph feel some relief, at least.

"Please, Mercy!" Squealed the man trapped beneath his fallen eelhound, with a lion vulture taking careful pecks at the dead creature. "I-I was only following orders. Please, I have pups and a wife at home". Toph wondered how many of the other casualties around them shared his story.

The bounty hunter was unfazed by the dramatics, however. Shooing the lion vulture away, she grasped his collar firmly, snarling inches from his face. "If she doesn't kill you, I will finish the job," she threatened. "My shirshu was taken from me. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

"I-I…" The man stuttered, helplessly.

"Lie all you want. There are plenty of hungry birds around us," she noted at which the man paled.

"A-A cave underground!" He piped. "There is…there's an, uh, oasis not far from here. Your animal is there".

Toph's keen hearing caught the sound of a brandished blade. Before she could calculate how close she was to the alpha to reach out and stop her, she heard the devastating sound of impaled flesh, followed by the choking cough of a dying man.

"Can't have your king following us, hmm?" Spoke the woman afterwards.

"You didn't have to kill him," insisted the earthbender in disgust.

June huffed loudly. "I could say the same for you, besides Queen's orders. Spare no one," she answered. "Don't look like that, Cutie," she added at Toph's frown. "She wants you alive after all this".

"Oh, Goodie," grumbled Toph, feeling slight fear rise from June's words.

She knew she could go toe to toe with the princess for a while at least, given her honed bending skills in adulthood, yet she would rather avoid such a confrontation with her somewhat friend…

#

King Bumi arose early that morning, sure he would open his eyes to see Toph's unseeing ones. When he instead saw those of his pet rabaroo begging for a carrot, he gave a wholesome laugh.

"Well, seems Toph is enjoying her stay here along with that bounty hunter," he concluded, giving the animal the snack. The rabaroo eagerly took it before hoping off his chest on the bed.

The king stretched his limbs wide and rolled out of bed, to prepare for another day. When he reached his throne room, he was greeted with an urgent message from the night's watch. Bumi had a green candy midway to his lips when he gaped at the words on the page.

Four husbands, four sires, all dead at the hands of his two former prisoners. Bumi blinked thrice times. The four men had been loyal to him even after the Fire Nation had conquered his city. The night's watch was considered the easiest position in Omashu, mainly given for long-standing loyalty. All these men he knew, personally, along with their alpha, omegas or betas and pups.

To say the old king was shaken was an understatement. Part of him wanted to blame the arrogant chief of Republic City's police, but in reality, the blood was on his hands.

"Your Highness?"

Bumi managed to tear his thoughts away from how to give the men's families the terrible news at the general's call followed by the snapping of an animal foreign to earth kingdom's lands inside his throne room, unannounced. He raised his head from the message to meet the golden gaze of someone he had not seen in some time.

"My, My, My…" Crooned the easy voice of the mad princess, her hand rubbing the giant catgator at her side, absently with perfectly manicured nails. "I feel right at home, here".

The Mad King signaled for the general to leave with a wave of his ring adorned hand, his signature smile returning despite the tragic turn of events.

"Ah, Dear Princess, I should have expected a visit from you. Here, have a candy," he offered, waving the green rock hard delicacy from his place on the throne.

An answering snap came from the princess's catgator, its sharp teeth brandished as if personally offended. The princess shushed the creature with a motherly touch that surprised the king.

"No thanks. I prefer to keep my Cheshire cat smile," she cooed back.

Bumi gave a cackle. "Yes, I'm sure it is just to die for," he said, choosing his next words, strategically. "Speaking of…" He taunted with a furrowed brow and pat of his lips with an index finger as if in deep thought. "I wonder if Ty Lee knew her abusive ex was after her too?" He said an octave lower. "Well, before, you know…"

The reaction spurred was well worth it when the princess was suddenly at his throat with her animal snapping by his ear. Grasping his beard, she showed rare vulnerability as she growled, "She gave as good as she got! And if I were you, I would pray to your gods that your head does not take long to sever from your neck _if_ she's dead".

Bumi's grin widened despite the threat, as Azula's fingers emitted smoke.

"There, there, Princess, our interests are aligned here," he explained. "I want Toph's head for what she did to my soldiers and you want her away from your omega in heat. We can both get what we want in this case".

He felt the catgator's steaming breath, but did not dare turn away from the alpha's eyes as he awaited the answer.

"I'm listening," said Azula with an arched, curious eyebrow.

 **Oh forgot to add there are references to Injustice 2 because though Tyzula is my OTP forever, I am pretty sure their relationship could potentially replicate Harley Quinn and The Joker GASP!**

 **Anyway, hope you liked! QTZ**


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